Dress codes are the “Should Pete Rose be in the Hall of Fame?” question for any cruise message board. People never seem to tire of the subject, and on any slow day, it appears someone brings it up.
As is the case with Rose, people seem to have very passionate opinions and limited willingness to think about the other side.
Related: Carnival Cruise Line cancels more cruises, adds adults-only cruises
Basically, there are three camps.
First, you have the people who say they do not care what anyone else wears and don’t understand why it’s an issue. Then, you have the group of people who just want the cruise lines to enforce their rules.
If the rule is no shorts in the main dining room (MDR), then people wearing shorts should not be allowed in. The same applies for hats, T-shirts, or whatever else you might be wearing.
The third group wants to turn back the clock to the days when people dressed up in fancy clothes to go to dinner. They want everyone to have to dress for dinner and think things like jeans are abominable.
It’s always a spirited debate, and it’s one that Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald has every right to be tired of.
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Carnival generally does not widely enforce its own dress codes.
Image source: Carnival Cruise Line
Carnival passenger longs for olden times
Many cruise line passengers don’t want to dress for dinner even in the nicer restaurants, simply because it’s impractical. Most people have to fly to get to their cruise, and packing suits and formal wear requires bringing more luggage.
Cruise ships also do not allow irons, making it harder to keep nicer clothes unwrinkled. Many of these passengers dress nicer than they do during the day, just not in suits or formal wear.
There are, of course, some people who go very casual, and unless you were wearing a bathing suit, it’s very rare that someone gets turned away.
Heald recently fielded a Facebook message from a disgruntled passenger.
“I am surprised and disgusted that Carnival’s ambassador would say that we should not care what people wear to dinner and that it does not affect you. This is not about you, Heald. This is about your customers. If someone of the passengers don’t think the dress code applies to them, they should be frog marched out of the main dining hall to Lido,” they wrote.
The passenger took things even further.
“The steak restaurant should be what it used to be. A supper club. Fine dining. Jeans should never be allowed, and men should be required to wear a jacket or denied entry. At least Carnival could make the steak restaurant a formal affair and give those who still have standards a place to be among people who have decorum.
Heald was polite in his response.
“Dress code, the subject that keeps on giving,” he shared.
“Well, years ago, we actually called the Steakhouses the Supper Clubs and yep, there was a dress code. But times change, and in fact, some of the finest steakhouses in New York, London, Sydney, Vancouver, and Cleveland allow jeans to be worn,” he added.
Carnival passengers mostly want to have fun
Over, 3,300 people commented on Heald’s post, and most were in favor of loose dress codes.
“If you are that stuck up and hung up on what others wear that it literally can ruin your meal, then maybe you should go on a different cruise line. One aimed at those who want a more formal experience. Sure, I’ve looked at people who wear shorts and T-shirts to formal night and rolled my eyes, but I move on and forget about them and enjoy my meal with my friends. What those other people do isn’t my concern,” posted Mandy Forbes.
ImMrsLeitzel shared why she does not dress up.
“I’m on vacation to relax, not to show off. Packing suits, dresses, shoes, accessories, etc. equals more suitcases, equals baggage fees, equals more hassle, which is counterproductive for a relaxing vacation. Times have changed for the better,” she wrote.
Tony Swicer takes a practical approach.
“No. With so many people no longer wanting to dress up, especially in the Caribbean, I don’t want to bring a suit unless the rest of my group wants to dress up. If the writer wants to be more formal, there are plenty of other cruise lines that are still formal. Carnival has a relaxed atmosphere nowadays, and I am happy with that,” he added.
Angie Harris Bourbeau seemed to sum up the most common position.
“No dress code needed for any place in my opinion. What others wear has no affect on my dining. For us personally, bringing dress clothes is a big hassle with flights and luggage weight considerations. It others want to drag out the elegant gowns and tuxes go for it, but not us,” she posted.
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